Wendy and Richard Pini
Encyclopedia
Wendy Pini née Fletcher, (born June 4, 1951, San Francisco
, California
) and Richard Pini (born July 19, 1950, New Haven
, Connecticut
) are the husband-and-wife team responsible for creating the well-known Elfquest
series of comics
, graphic novel
s and prose works. They are also known as WaRP (as in Warp Graphics
).
Wendy's youthful interest in fantasy was inspired in part by such luminaries as Shakespeare and Kipling. She took artistic inspiration from Victorian illustrators such as Arthur Rackham and Edmund Dulac, designers such as Walt Disney, Doug Wildey and Erte, as well as comic book greats such as Jack Kirby and Japanese manga artist Osamu Tezuka.
Richard Pini was born in 1950, in New Haven, Connecticut. After an exemplary academic performance at school, he was accepted into the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) for an astrophysics degree. Always fan of science fiction, at college he found new diversion in comic books.
Wendy Fletcher and Richard Pini met when Pini read a letter
of Fletcher's that had been published in issue #5 of the Silver Surfer
comic book. A correspondence began, spanning a period of four years. The two eventually married in 1972, and Wendy embarked upon a career as an illustrator for sci-fi magazines. A degree in astronomy from MIT led Richard to a position at Boston's Hayden Planetarium as lecturer, photographer, script writer and special effects technician. Later, he taught high school astronomy, then worked for IBM until Elfquest became a full-time occupation.
and Galileo
magazines in the mid-1970s, before launching Elfquest in 1978. Richard Pini, who had been working for IBM, is credited as co-writer and editor on Elfquest, as well as handling all of the publishing and business aspects of Warp Graphics. Prior to the widespread publication of Elfquest, Wendy was also known for dressing up at fan convention
s as Red Sonja
.
In addition to Elfquest, Wendy Pini also created two graphic novels based on the TV series Beauty and the Beast
and has illustrated occasional stories for both Marvel Comics
and DC Comics
. She wrote an introduction to the first volume of the Gargoyles trade paperback
and mentions being a fan of the show
.
series. Law and Chaos: The "Stormbringer" Animated Film Project was published by Father Tree Press (an imprint of the Pinis' WaRP Graphics
) in 1987. The book contains original artwork, information on the characters, an overview of the plot, and Wendy Pini's personal investment in the project. The film never reached completion. However, the full content of Law and Chaos may be found on the Masque of the Red Death web site.
, as a starting point, she adapted the tale into both graphic novel
and web comic formats, giving it a futuristic, dystopic slant. The publisher's description reads: "In a decadent, perfect future, Anton Prosper uses his vast fortune and scientific genius to seek the ultimate power of life over death. But when the beautiful prodigy Steffan Kabala enters Prosper's life, he unlocks a tempestuous passion that may send the entire planet hurtling into a bloody maelstrom of destruction."
volume 1, #14 (Oct. 1975), as well as issues #15, 17, #81, and #19, which was written by Tony Isabella
. Richard is a special effects technician and props arranger, and Wendy is a costume designer.
In a sort of unofficial intercompany crossover
, Elfquest and Wendy Pini are both referenced in Marvel's Uncanny X-Men
#153 (January 1982), "Kitty's Fairy Tale" (written by Chris Claremont
). In that issue, Kitty Pryde
wears an Elfquest T-shirt throughout, while a sprite
named "Pini" makes an appearance with "Bamf
" on p. 16.
In Fantastic Four
#242 (May 1982), series writer/artist John Byrne portrays an Elfquest play staged at a theatre built over the site of the flophouse where the Human Torch
found the amnesiac Namor in Fantastic Four #4.
Over the years, many parodies of and homages to Elfquest have appeared in different comics and other works, including prose novels. Nearly all may be found online at the official Elfquest website.
San Francisco, California
San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
) and Richard Pini (born July 19, 1950, New Haven
New Haven, Connecticut
New Haven is the second-largest city in Connecticut and the sixth-largest in New England. According to the 2010 Census, New Haven's population increased by 5.0% between 2000 and 2010, a rate higher than that of the State of Connecticut, and higher than that of the state's five largest cities, and...
, Connecticut
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
) are the husband-and-wife team responsible for creating the well-known Elfquest
Elfquest
Elfquest is a cult hit comic book property created by Wendy and Richard Pini in 1978. It is a fantasy story about a community of elves and other fictional species who struggle to survive and coexist on a primitive Earth-like planet with two moons. Several published volumes of prose fiction also...
series of comics
Comic book
A comic book or comicbook is a magazine made up of comics, narrative artwork in the form of separate panels that represent individual scenes, often accompanied by dialog as well as including...
, graphic novel
Graphic novel
A graphic novel is a narrative work in which the story is conveyed to the reader using sequential art in either an experimental design or in a traditional comics format...
s and prose works. They are also known as WaRP (as in Warp Graphics
WaRP Graphics
WaRP Graphics, later Warp Graphics, is an alternative comics publisher best known for creating and being the original publisher of the Elfquest comic book series. It was created and incorporated in 1977 by Wendy and Richard Pini. The company title is an acronym formed from the founding couple's...
).
Early life
Wendy Fletcher was born in San Francisco in 1951, and from an early age demonstrated the talents later to come to fruition as a professional illustrator, and eventually as the creator of Elfquest.Wendy's youthful interest in fantasy was inspired in part by such luminaries as Shakespeare and Kipling. She took artistic inspiration from Victorian illustrators such as Arthur Rackham and Edmund Dulac, designers such as Walt Disney, Doug Wildey and Erte, as well as comic book greats such as Jack Kirby and Japanese manga artist Osamu Tezuka.
Richard Pini was born in 1950, in New Haven, Connecticut. After an exemplary academic performance at school, he was accepted into the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) for an astrophysics degree. Always fan of science fiction, at college he found new diversion in comic books.
Wendy Fletcher and Richard Pini met when Pini read a letter
Comic book letter column
A comic book letter column is a section of a comic book where readers' letters to the publisher appear. Comic book letter columns are also commonly referred to as letter columns , letter pages, letters of comment , or simply letters to the editor...
of Fletcher's that had been published in issue #5 of the Silver Surfer
Silver Surfer
The Silver Surfer is a Marvel Comics superhero created by Jack Kirby. The character first appears in Fantastic Four #48 , the first of a three-issue arc that fans call "The Galactus Trilogy"....
comic book. A correspondence began, spanning a period of four years. The two eventually married in 1972, and Wendy embarked upon a career as an illustrator for sci-fi magazines. A degree in astronomy from MIT led Richard to a position at Boston's Hayden Planetarium as lecturer, photographer, script writer and special effects technician. Later, he taught high school astronomy, then worked for IBM until Elfquest became a full-time occupation.
Career
Fletcher contributed several covers and illustrations to Galaxy Science FictionGalaxy Science Fiction
Galaxy Science Fiction was an American digest-size science fiction magazine, published from 1950 to 1980. It was founded by an Italian company, World Editions, which was looking to break in to the American market. World Editions hired as editor H. L...
and Galileo
Galileo (magazine)
Galileo Magazine of Science & Fiction was a science fiction magazine which appeared as a quarterly in the 8½ × 11 format for five issues, issue #5 being published in October 1977. It then changed to a bimonthly publishing schedule beginning with issue #6 published in January 1978. The last issue...
magazines in the mid-1970s, before launching Elfquest in 1978. Richard Pini, who had been working for IBM, is credited as co-writer and editor on Elfquest, as well as handling all of the publishing and business aspects of Warp Graphics. Prior to the widespread publication of Elfquest, Wendy was also known for dressing up at fan convention
Fan convention
A fan convention, or con , is an event in which fans of a particular film, television series, comic book, actor, or an entire genre of entertainment such as science fiction or anime and manga, gather to participate and hold programs and other events, and to meet experts, famous personalities, and...
s as Red Sonja
Red Sonja
Red Sonja, the She-Devil with a Sword, is a fictional character, a high fantasy sword and sorcery heroine created by Roy Thomas and Barry Windsor-Smith, and loosely based on Red Sonya of Rogatino in Robert E. Howard's 1934 short story "The Shadow of the Vulture"...
.
In addition to Elfquest, Wendy Pini also created two graphic novels based on the TV series Beauty and the Beast
Beauty and the Beast (TV series)
Beauty and the Beast is an American drama series which first aired on CBS in 1987. Creator Ron Koslow's updated version of the fairy tale has a double focus: the relationship between Vincent , a mythic, noble man-beast, and his Catherine , a savvy assistant District attorney in New York; and a...
and has illustrated occasional stories for both Marvel Comics
Marvel Comics
Marvel Worldwide, Inc., commonly referred to as Marvel Comics and formerly Marvel Publishing, Inc. and Marvel Comics Group, is an American company that publishes comic books and related media...
and DC Comics
DC Comics
DC Comics, Inc. is one of the largest and most successful companies operating in the market for American comic books and related media. It is the publishing unit of DC Entertainment a company of Warner Bros. Entertainment, which itself is owned by Time Warner...
. She wrote an introduction to the first volume of the Gargoyles trade paperback
Gargoyles (SLG comic)
Gargoyles is a comic book produced by Slave Labor Graphics and Creature Comics. It was written by series creator Greg Weisman starting in 2006, and continued the storyline of the animated television series Gargoyles from the first two seasons, supplanting the ABC Network third season, The Goliath...
and mentions being a fan of the show
Gargoyles (TV series)
Gargoyles is an American animated series created by Greg Weisman. It was produced by Greg Weisman and Frank Paur and aired from October 24, 1994 to February 15, 1997. Gargoyles is known for its dark tone, complex story arcs and melodrama...
.
Stormbringer
Wendy Pini wrote a book documenting her attempt to make an animated film project of the StormbringerStormbringer
Stormbringer is the name of the infamous black sword featured in a number of fantasy stories by the author Michael Moorcock. Created by the forces of Chaos, it is described as a huge, black sword covered with strange runes carved deep into its blade...
series. Law and Chaos: The "Stormbringer" Animated Film Project was published by Father Tree Press (an imprint of the Pinis' WaRP Graphics
WaRP Graphics
WaRP Graphics, later Warp Graphics, is an alternative comics publisher best known for creating and being the original publisher of the Elfquest comic book series. It was created and incorporated in 1977 by Wendy and Richard Pini. The company title is an acronym formed from the founding couple's...
) in 1987. The book contains original artwork, information on the characters, an overview of the plot, and Wendy Pini's personal investment in the project. The film never reached completion. However, the full content of Law and Chaos may be found on the Masque of the Red Death web site.
Masque of the Red Death
In 2007, Wendy Pini turned her attention to a new project totally unrelated to Elfquest. Taking the Edgar Allan Poe short story Masque of the Red DeathMasque of the Red Death
Masque of the Red Death is a campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game, named after the Edgar Allan Poe short story of the same name. The setting was published after the release of the Ravenloft campaign setting and is regarded as an add-on for that line...
, as a starting point, she adapted the tale into both graphic novel
Graphic novel
A graphic novel is a narrative work in which the story is conveyed to the reader using sequential art in either an experimental design or in a traditional comics format...
and web comic formats, giving it a futuristic, dystopic slant. The publisher's description reads: "In a decadent, perfect future, Anton Prosper uses his vast fortune and scientific genius to seek the ultimate power of life over death. But when the beautiful prodigy Steffan Kabala enters Prosper's life, he unlocks a tempestuous passion that may send the entire planet hurtling into a bloody maelstrom of destruction."
Awards and Honors
- 1979 Ed Aprill Award (New York Comic Art Convention) - Best Independent Comic (Elfquest)
- 1979, 1980 Alley Award (Elfquest)
- 1980 Small Press Writers and Artists Organization - Best Artist (Comics), Wendy Pini - Best Editor (Comics), Richard & Wendy Pini
- 1980 San Diego Comic Convention - Inkpot AwardInkpot AwardThe Inkpot Award, bestowed annually since 1974 by Comic-Con International, is given to some of the professionals in comic book, comic strip, animation, science fiction, and related pop-culture fields, who are guests of that organization's yearly multigenre fan convention, commonly known as...
(Wendy Pini, Richard Pini) - 1981 Phantasy Press Comic Art Awards (Woody Awards, in honor of Wally Wood) - Best Alternative Comic (Elfquest)
- 1983 Small Press Writers and Artists Organization - Best Comic (Elfquest)
- 1983 Heroes Award (Heroes Aren't Hard To Find) - Best Black and White Magazine (Elfquest)
- 1984 New York State Jaycees Distinguished Service Award (Wendy & Richard Pini)
- 1985 Balrog Award (Sword and Shield Corp. of Denver, CO) - Best Artist (Wendy Pini)
- 1986 Fantasy Festival Comic Book Awards (El Paso Fantasy Festival) - Best Alternative Comic (Elfquest)
- 1987, 1988 Skywise (Elfquest character) inducted into Massachusetts Institute of Technology freshman class
- 1989 Golden Pen Award (Young Adult Advisory Committee, Spokane, WA) (Elfquest)
- 2002 Friends of Lulu Women Cartoonists Hall of Fame (Wendy Pini)
Appearances in other media
Characters based on Richard and Wendy Pini appear in Ghost RiderGhost Rider (Johnny Blaze)
Ghost Rider is a fictional character, an antihero in the Marvel Comics Universe. He is the second Marvel character to use the name Ghost Rider, following the Western hero later known as the Phantom Rider, and preceding Daniel Ketch.Johnny Blaze was portrayed both in the 2007 film Ghost Rider and...
volume 1, #14 (Oct. 1975), as well as issues #15, 17, #81, and #19, which was written by Tony Isabella
Tony Isabella
Tony Isabella is an American comic book writer, editor, artist and critic, known as the creator and writer of Marvel Comics' Black Goliath, DC Comics' first major African American superhero, Black Lightning, and as a columnist and critic for the Comics Buyer's Guide.-Marvel Comics:Before he joined...
. Richard is a special effects technician and props arranger, and Wendy is a costume designer.
In a sort of unofficial intercompany crossover
Intercompany crossover
In comic books, an intercompany crossover is a comic or series of comics where characters published by one company meet those published by another...
, Elfquest and Wendy Pini are both referenced in Marvel's Uncanny X-Men
Uncanny X-Men
Uncanny X-Men, first published as The X-Men, is the flagship Marvel Comics comic book series for the X-Men franchise. It is the mainstream continuity featuring the adventures of the eponymous group of mutant superheroes...
#153 (January 1982), "Kitty's Fairy Tale" (written by Chris Claremont
Chris Claremont
Chris Claremont is an award-winning American comic book writer and novelist, known for his 17-year stint on Uncanny X-Men, far longer than any other writer, during which he is credited with developing strong female characters, and with introducing complex literary themes into superhero...
). In that issue, Kitty Pryde
Kitty Pryde
Katherine Anne "Kitty" Pryde is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Uncanny X-Men #129 and was created by writer-artist John Byrne....
wears an Elfquest T-shirt throughout, while a sprite
Sprite (creature)
The term sprite is a broad term referring to a number of preternatural legendary creatures. The term is generally used in reference to elf-like creatures, including fairies, and similar beings , but can also signify various spiritual beings, including ghosts. In Eoin Colfer's Artemis Fowl books,...
named "Pini" makes an appearance with "Bamf
Bamf
Bamf , originally Bampf, is a onomatopoeic term from the Marvel Universe.-Sound:"Bamf" in the Marvel Universe is onomatopoeia relating to the fictional character Nightcrawler and the resulting sound he makes when he teleports. The sound is caused by air rushing into the space where Nightcrawler's...
" on p. 16.
In Fantastic Four
Fantastic Four
The Fantastic Four is a fictional superhero team appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The group debuted in The Fantastic Four #1 , which helped to usher in a new level of realism in the medium...
#242 (May 1982), series writer/artist John Byrne portrays an Elfquest play staged at a theatre built over the site of the flophouse where the Human Torch
Human Torch
The Human Torch is a fictional character and superhero appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby, he is a member of the superhero team the Fantastic Four, debuting in The Fantastic Four #1...
found the amnesiac Namor in Fantastic Four #4.
Over the years, many parodies of and homages to Elfquest have appeared in different comics and other works, including prose novels. Nearly all may be found online at the official Elfquest website.
External links
- Wendy Pini at the Comic Book Database
- Richard Pini at the Comic Book Database
- Masque of the Red Death — an erotic, "decadent" re-telling of the original Poe story in webcomicWebcomicWebcomics, online comics, or Internet comics are comics published on a website. While many are published exclusively on the web, others are also published in magazines, newspapers or often in self-published books....
format by Wendy Pini